From the Boathouse: For Christmastime, a harbor rhyme

Mike Whitehead

Ahoy!

Ah, Christmas arrives on Wednesday, and I cannot wait to see what presents Santa Claus will leave under the boat's masthead.

The Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce is giving everyone an early gift with the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade, which cruises Newport Harbor for five nights starting Dec. 18th and wraps up with a fireworks finale on the 22nd after the parade at 9 p.m.

However, back to Christmas Day. The weather Wednesday along the our coast will be very pleasant with partly cloudy skies. The daytime temperatures will reach the high 60s to low 70s, and a light breeze will blow across the waters. I predict that the night sky will be crystal clear, with the evening temperatures dipping only into the mid- to upper-50s, thus creating another beautiful Christmas Day in Southern California.

Once again, my updated annual Christmas poem as I weigh anchor for Christmas:

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'Twas the Day Before Christmas Upon Orange County's Harbor

'Twas the day before Christmas, and all through the harbor

You could see a few boats sailing on the water

And sea lions were hauled out on jetty entrance rocks

With the harbor buoy's bell clanging with each passing swell.

The fish were happy as no hooks were around

And the sea birds were eating, being fed by a shore crowd.

When all of sudden there arose such a clatter

The mermaids swam in to see what was the matter.

The sea lions dove into the water

And the boats sailed away from all the splatter.

When shore crowd looked out to see such a sight

But the birds just continued eating without a matter.

All of a sudden but who should appear

The King of the Sea bringing his own Christmas cheer.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

As King Neptune held up his scepter for all to see,

And out of the scepter came a lightning bolt so grand

It made a loud bang when it hit the land

And to everyone's amazement as you looked around

Disappearing were all the storm drains that drained into his sea from the land.

His gift for Christmas was no more pollution into the water

But I heard him exclaim, when he swam out of sight

What starts at the drain, feeds the harbor when it rains

Lastly, Merry Christmas to all and to all a safe voyage.

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Please be boat smart and boat safe. Lastly, please boat responsibly and look behind you before you turn the wheel at the helm.